SGN H.B. 485 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS CORRECTIONS H.B. 485 By: McClendon 2-21-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND According to data provided by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, there are 4,856 out-ofstate inmates currently housed in correctional facilities in Texas. States such as Oklahoma and Hawaii contract with these facilities to house their inmates. Presently, there is not a statute which mandates that all out-of-state inmates housed by contract in facilities be returned to the sending state before their release from imprisonment. This bill would ensure that out-of-state inmates are returned to the sending state prior to their release from facilities in Texas. PURPOSE The purpose of this bill is to amend the Government Code to require that an out-of-state inmate housed by contract in a correctional facility in Texas be returned to the sending state before the inmate's release from imprisonment. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 495, Government Code, by adding Section 495.024 which requires a county, municipality or a private vendor operating a correctional facility under contract with a county or municipality, to require in contracts with other states to house their inmates, that each inmate to be released from custody must be released in the sending state. SECTION 2. Transition clause. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.